One injury of note as Spring Training was ending: C Kevin Morley suffered a foot contusion after being hit by a pitch and will miss the first week of the season, meaning Nelson Bocardo will start the year as the backup.
March 31: Designated P Alex Stephens and OF Randy Bahr for assignment and placed them on waivers.
Both were out of options and weren't making the big club.
The Opening Day roster:
C-Cordova, Bocardo
1B-S.Williams
2B-Beckett
SS-Frick
3B-Barela
IF-Laboy
OF-Willis, Gregory, Leonard, Johns, Mendez
DH-J.Alexander
SP-B.Jackson, Soland, Mendoza, Brophy, Gird
LR-Harbour, Forbes
MR-Combs, Burgess, D.Anderson
SU-Barkley, Sato, Pretty
CL-Zamora
Tomas Laboy made it as the backup over Jon Callahan due to being out of options, while Greg Bookhart nearly made the staff after a great Spring Training but with Doug Combs and Ken Burgess healthy there wasn't room for him. Unlike Burgess, Combs has an option left so he may go down if feel Bookhart needs to come up.
The preseason predictions:
The Houston Astros at 72-90 is pretty shocking. Part of that is no doubt due to star OF Ricky Clark starting the year on the IL as well as starting OF Ian Rhodes. Having them healthy should only improve them by 5-6 wins at most, though.